OREM, Utah --- The UT Arlington volleyball team (11-6, 3-2 WAC) is on the road this week for a pair of matches, beginning with a 6 p.m. meeting with Utah Valley (9-7, 3-1) on Thursday. With a win, the Mavericks can at least move into third place in the WAC standings.
ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END
UT Arlington had their nine-match winning streak snapped against California Baptist on Oct. 6. It represented the program's longest streak over the past 20 years behind the 2002 squad's 17-match surge. Overall, the streak tied the 1985 and 1987 teams for the 15th-longest all-time, which dates back to 1973. Despite the outcome, the Mavericks have still won 11 of their past 14 matches.
AMONG THE BEST IN THE WAC
UT Arlington volleyball returned to the WAC this year and has positioned themselves among the leaders in the conference early on, despite being picked eighth in the preseason poll, as the Mavericks (3-2) are tied for fourth place with Grand Canyon behind UTRGV (6-0), Stephen F. Austin (5-1) and Utah Valley (3-1). The high standing in the conference is impressive considering seven WAC members have above a .500 winning percentage overall, including seven teams at .500 or above in conference play alone.
ROAD COURT ADVANTAGE
In WAC play, the Mavericks are an impressive 3-0 away from home while sporting an 0-2 record at home.
AN OFFENSIVE FORCE
Brianna Ford, an Amarillo, Texas native, has led UT Arlington to an 11-6 start this year behind career-bests across the board – kills per set (3.25), hitting percentage (.253), digs per set (2.74), assists per set (0.28), blocks per set (0.8) and points per set (3.94). The third-year outside hitter has notched 10 of her team-best 23 career double-doubles this season, including two straight and three over the past six matches. Her performance has propelled her into the top 10 in the WAC in total points (2nd, 271), points per set (2nd, 3.93), total kills (3rd, 223), kills per set (5th, 3.23) and total digs (10th, 195). She ranks 79th nationally in total points. Overall, she has 12 matches with 10+ kills and 12 with 10+ digs. Award-wise, Ford became the program's first-ever WAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12, was named the MVP in both the UTA Invitational and UTSA Invitational, and she earned a spot on the UTA Classic all-tourney team.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
As a team, UT Arlington ranks among the nation's leaders in total blocks (25th, 172), blocks per set (41st, 2.49), opponent hitting percentage (51st, .174) and team digs (79th, 1,034). Among WAC teams, they lead the pack in blocks per set and total blocks, and they check in second in opponent hitting percentage behind Stephen F. Austin (.166).
DOWN TO THE WIRE
UT Arlington is 4-1 in five-set matches this year, including wins in four straight after dropping a five-set match to North Dakota on Aug. 27. Among those victories, the Mavs dropped the opening set against Providence, trailed UTSA 2-0 and came back against Lamar after being down 2-1.
KILLIN' IT
Fifth-year senior
Brooke Townsend joined the 1,000 kill club last year and recently became just the 12th player in program history to reach 1,200 in a career. Next up on the list are Fannie Burton (1,245, 1991-94) and Teresa Ogden (1,251, 1982-83) and passing both would vault her into the top 10. The fifth-year outside hitter has six matches with at least 10 kills this year, including a season-high 16 twice - against Providence on Sept. 3 and at Abilene Christian on Sept. 29. Her 1,204 career total ranks 56th among all active NCAA Division I players, and she is 66th in career sets played with 446.
| UTA CAREER KILLS |
| 1. |
Heather Hoy |
1,787 |
1994-97 |
| 2. |
Ana de Oliveira |
1,729 |
1985-88 |
| 3. |
Amber Pack |
1,578 |
1999-2002 |
| 4. |
Qiana Canete |
1,505 |
2014-17 |
| 5. |
Valeria Whitfield |
1,490 |
1990-92 |
| 6. |
Caley Smith |
1,416 |
2001-04 |
| 7. |
Judith McGill |
1,407 |
1983-86 |
| 8. |
Trisha Walker |
1,344 |
1997-2000 |
| 9. |
Chris Rudiger |
1,330 |
1986-89 |
| 10. |
Teresa Ogden |
1,251 |
1982-83 |
| 11. |
Fannie Burton |
1,245 |
1991-94 |
| 12. |
Brooke Townsend |
1,204 |
2018-Pres. |
| 13. |
Amanda Aguilera |
1,164 |
2008-11 |
| 14. |
Shari Parks |
1,148 |
1984-87 |
| 15. |
Zhanelle Geathers |
1,132 |
2014-18 |
AND THEN THERE WERE 10
Alli Wells, who has registered three matches with 20-plus digs through five WAC contests, moved into the top 10 on the program's career digs list against Grand Canyon on Oct. 8. The fourth-year libero tallied 21 against the Antelopes, which moved her past Trisha Walker (1,455, 1997-00) and Dani Johnson (1,446, 2004-07) into ninth place. Overall, she has 34 matches with 20-plus digs in her career, including seven this season.
Despite having her 26-match streak of consecutive double-digit digs snapped against New Orleans on Sept. 16, the Waxahachie native ranks 40th in total career digs (1,465) among all active NCAA Division I players. This year alone, Wells ranks 73rd nationally in total digs (292), 86th in service aces (26) and 100th in digs per set (4.23). Her play earned the libero a spot on the all-tournament team in the UTSA Invitational Sept. 10.
| UTA CAREER DIGS |
| 1. |
Alicia Shaffer |
2,033 |
2008-11 |
| 2. |
Ashley Smith |
1,921 |
2003-06 |
| 3. |
Amber Pack |
1,887 |
1999-02 |
| 4. |
Jessica Bowlin |
1,728 |
1995-98 |
| 5. |
Qiana Canete |
1,626 |
2014-17 |
| 6. |
Judith McGill |
1,623 |
1983-86 |
| 7. |
Torie Dacus |
1,564 |
2004-07 |
| 8. |
Ana de Oliveira |
1,550 |
1985-88 |
| 9. |
Alli Wells |
1,465 |
2019-present |
| 10. |
Trisha Walker |
1,455 |
1997-00 |
BLANK REACHES MILESTONE
Third-year setter
Mollie Blank notched her 1,000th career assist against North Dakota on Aug. 27. She enters the Utah Valley match with 1,085, and her double-double against Texas A&M-Commerce on Sept. 2 (38 assists, 13 digs) gave her 17 career double-doubles.
SOLID PRESENCE
Alyssa Duran, a third-year defensive specialist, recorded back-to-back matches with double-digit digs to finish up the UTA Invitational Sept. 17, including a season-best 15 in the come-from-behind win over Lamar University in five sets, and she has produced three matches with double-digits this year overall. She has totaled at least eight digs in each of the past four matches entering this week.
CENTURY WOMEN
Meredith Fisher and
Brianna Ford have each eclipsed 100 career blocks this year. Fisher reached the milestone against Lamar on Sept. 17 as the fourth-year standout became the first Mav in six years to produce at least 10 blocks in a match, helping to push her current career total to 115. Ford, meanwhile, has nudged her career total to 153. This year alone, she has notched 55, which is only three shy of matching her career-best total from last season.
AWARD-WINNING SUCCESS AT HOME
The Mavs tallied a 5-2 record at home in non-conference play behind strong individual performances in the UTA Classic (Sept. 3-4) and UTA Invitational (Sept. 16-17).
Brianna Ford, who produced three double-doubles over the six matches combined, was named the UTA Invitational MVP and made the all-tournament team in the UTA Classic.
Jalie Tritt made the all-tournament team in both events.
Brooke Townsend also made the UTA Invitational All-Tournament team.
SKINNER JOINS ELITE GROUP
Including her performance against California Baptist on Oct. 6,
Sophie Skinner has notched 40-plus assists five times over the past 11 matches. In fact, since being inserted into the starting lineup on Sept. 3 against Providence, she has recorded at least 26 in every match and at least 30 in 11 of 13, including eight straight.
On Oct. 8 against Grand Canyon, she tallied 36 assists to become just the ninth freshman in program history with at least 500 in a season, joining teammate
Mollie Blank (502, 2020) in the prestigious group. The Hot Springs, Ark. native previously earned UTSA All-Tournament and WAC Freshman of the Week recognition. Overall, she has registered 511 assists, 106 digs, 27 kills and 14 aces this year.
Prior to UTA, Skinner competed in the Under Armour All-America Game this past December, which recognizes the most skilled high school players in the country. She was named MVP among the 24 players selected to participate.
BACK-TO-BACK
UT Arlington produced back-to-back conference freshman of the week awards for just the second time in program history behind the play of
Jalie Tritt (Sept. 19) and
Sophie Skinner (Sept. 12). Tritt helped the Mavs capture the UTA Invitational championship that week by averaging 2.5 kills, 1.9 digs and 0.7 blocks per set, while Skinner averaged 9.1 assists and 2.2 digs per set in the UTSA Invitational.
EXPERIENCE RETURNS
The Mavericks have three players who scored over 270 points last season (
Briana Brown,
Brooke Townsend,
Brianna Ford), returning 76 percent of their total points from a season ago overall. Furthermore, two all-conference selections from a season ago in
Briana Brown (First Team All-SBC) and
Alli Wells (Second Team All-SBC) are back, as well as former All-SBC selections in
Brooke Townsend (2019, 2020) and
Brianna Ford (2020).
NEW FACES
The Mavericks brought in four new faces to the program this season –
Sophie Ocampo (Humble, Texas; Kingwood HS),
Jalie Tritt (Little Rock, Ark.; Episcopal Collegiate School),
Ava Burroughs (Quitman, Texas; Quitman HS), and
Sophie Skinner (Hot Springs, Ark.; Fountain Lake HS). Three of the four have seen significant action this year while Ocampo will redshirt.
FORD SPENDS 20TH IN EUROPE
Brianna Ford spent her 20th birthday in Europe as she participated in the 2022 Global Challenge in Croatia, helping lead her team to a 1st place finish and being named to the all-tournament team.
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